By John McAulay

In a historic showcase of Palestinian solidarity, tens of thousands have flooded the streets, blocked universities and boycotted companies in an attempt to force the Spanish government to cut all ties with Israel.

Something did not seem right at the Raval campus of Barcelona University on Friday, September 27. Early on a fresh morning, some thirty students and teachers lingered in the open air, outside the main building, seemingly unwilling to go inside. Classes were set to start soon, but they had no alternative but to stay where they were. “I don’t think we’ll be teaching today”, a professor mentioned to his colleagues.

The reason? A dozen activists completely blocked the access, aided by two dumpsters and a plastic fence, and are not allowing anyone in. Dressed from head to toe in black to prevent being recognized, one of them hid their face behind a keffiyeh. Flanking the group, a Palestinian flag stands tall and proud. On the doors, a banner helped clear things up. It read: ‘General strike against the genocide. Everything stops’.

“We spent the night in the university”, one of the activists, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Palestine Chronicle. “This way we made sure that we’d be the first here and nobody could get in”. They’ve certainly achieved their goal.

No Far Enough

A day of protest was called on Friday, September 27, across the whole of Spain in solidarity with Palestine. The strike was coordinated and backed by hundreds of organizations throughout the country, including numerous workers syndicates, student unions, and groups focused on a diversity of fields, like human rights, the environment, housing, women, and minorities, among many others. Some left-wing political parties have also shown their support. It is definitely a historic first for any country in Europe.

The general strike comes at a time when Israeli aggression in the Middle East has reached its highest point in decades. After bombing the Gaza Strip for a year and killing tens of thousands of Palestinians during the course of the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has now turned its focus towards Lebanon. Hundreds of civilians have already died in the last ten days, and the governments of the Global North finally seem to have been urged to put an end to Israel’s onslaught.

Spain has been at the forefront of Palestinian solidarity during this last year with numerous demonstrations, while the Spanish government formally recognized the State of Palestine at the end of May. It has also been highly critical of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. However, activists argue that it has not gone far enough.

That’s what the general strike is trying to change. Organizers believe the Pedro Sánchez administration’s role has been “shameful”, and accuse it of being “complicit” in the genocide of Palestinians. Therefore, they have called for the country to come to a complete halt until the government breaks its diplomatic relations with Israel, as well as its commercial and military ties that include a weapons trade valued at over 1 billion euros.

Picket Lines and Boycotts

From the very first hours of Friday, numerous protests have sprouted across the country, many of them in universities. They are the same locations where, only a few months ago, students set up camp in a bid to force boards to break their ties with Israeli institutions, displaying the impressive role of young people in the Palestinian cause. “We’re not going to study under the noise from the bombs”, students denounced on social media.

Meanwhile, local organizations have set up other fights. In the spirit of the BDS movement, activists have decided to enforce a boycott of companies that are said to be complicit with the Israeli occupation.

In the famous La Rambla of Barcelona, a group of demonstrators has blocked access to a supermarket while shouting “Israel kills, Carrefour sponsors”, to the surprise of the tourists who amble along the bustling street. Elsewhere, a Starbucks and a Santander Bank branch have been defaced for profiting from the Palestinian genocide.

As to the following that the general strike has garnered, the response has been uneven, but strongest in the professional sectors where the organizing workers’ unions have a larger backing. Therefore, teachers and healthcare workers have made up a large bulk of the protestors.

On social media, independent companies like the left-wing publisher Manifest Llibres or the clothing store Top Manta, created by ex-street sellers, have also announced their adherence to the strike and have closed shop today.

Tens of Thousands Flood the Streets

But the main show of support for the Palestinian cause came later in the afternoon. Tens of thousands of people crowded the main cities in Spain, waving flags, sporting keffiyehs and chanting slogans like ‘Boycott Israel’, ‘It’s not war, it’s genocide’ and ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’.

This is far from the first time that Spanish society has flooded the streets to denounce the massacre in Gaza during the last year, but it could well hold the record for the highest turnout yet.

“Today is a day of action”, the organizers called out during the march, recalling previous examples of struggle. “Here lies the spirit of the intifada”.

Another made clear that the protest is against Israeli aggression, but also against Western complicity. “We’re here as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians and against their genocide”, she said. The message is clear: “Only the people save the people”.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

– John McAulay is a journalist based in Barcelona with an interest in social issues and international conflicts. He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.